Fabian Wilnis and Darren Bent were the Blues goalscoring heroes as Town comfortably defeated the old enemy 2-0 at Carrow Road. The introduction of 16-year-old Dean Bowditch on 70 minutes proved pivotal, the striker setting up both goals, the first within a minute of taking to the field.
Joe Royle lined his side up as expected with Matt Richards coming in for his first league start on the left of a five-man midfield with Matt Holland moving into central defence alongside Thomas Gaardsøe and Chris Makin. Fabian Wilnis was on the right wing-back with Jim Magilton, Jermaine Wright and Tommy Miller in the middle. Up front neither Marcus Bent nor Richard Naylor were considered fit enough to start, so Darren Ambrose played just behind Darren Bent.
Early on the Town crowd got behind keeper Andy Marshall on his first visit to his old ground in a Blues' shirt. The game was a bitty affair for the first few minutes with a succession of fouls, mainly against the home side.
On five, Darren Ambrose appeared to be caught in the groin by a high Craig Fleming boot and collapsed to the ground, understandably pained. The youngster underwent treatment for several minutes and appeared to be sick on several occasions. Despite the high nature of the challenge Fleming escaped without a card.
After further treatment off the pitch Ambrose returned, but it was his best friend, Darren Bent, who was to have the game's first serious opportunity. Thomas Gaardsøe, up against Iwan Roberts, played a long ball forward for Bent to chase. The striker took the ball into the area on the right before hitting a shot which Robert Green turned round the post.
Ambrose had an opportunity a couple of minutes later after being played in by Jim Magilton. Ambrose, 19 last week, rushed his shot and sent the ball well over the bar.
Norwich's first shot came in the 17th minute, David Healy hitting a 20-yarder over the bar. But the half had mainly been Town and Darren Bent was proving a constant thorn without ever really troubling Robert Green too much. Two Bent headers around the 20th minute both looped to the Norwich keeper.
Darren Ambrose might have done better with a flicked header from a Bent cross in the 25th minute. Were Ambrose a more regular striker then Town could well have been a goal in front.
Referee Graham Laws took his card out for the first time in the 16th minute after Iwan Roberts caught Thomas Gaardsøe with an elbow with Town supporters calling for a red. The Roberts-Gaardsøe battle had been one of the more intriguing aspects of the game up to then, with the Dane largely having the best of it.
With ten minutes left of the first period Paul McVeigh turned a cross from the left back to Andy Marshall from the edge of the area, the keeper hardly troubled up to then and given the backing of Town supporters singing his name at every goalkick.
With the game in first half injury time the Blues came under their first real threat, Marshall tipping a McVeigh freekick over before his punch from the corner fell to the same player on the edge of the area, the former Spurs man's mishit shot falling to Roberts inside the box. Before the Welshman could get anything onto the ball Matt Holland had scrambled it clear.
No changes at the break and very quickly Marshall was back in the action as a scramble ensued after a Norwich corner. Several players tried unsuccessfully to get a shot in before Marshall turned away a Roberts effort with his foot.
Shortly afterwards a cross from the right flashed across a packed Town box but no one managed to get a foot on it, Fabian Wilnis and Andy Marshall seeing the ball out of play.
Norwich were having more possession than in the first half but Town were proving dangerous on the break. In the 50th minute Jermaine Wright crossed from the right and Darren Bent headed into the sidenetting at the far post.
Three minutes later there were calls from the home crowd for a penalty when Mark Rivers made a strong run into the box. The former Crewe player seemed to lose control of the ball before falling to the ground with referee Laws unimpressed.
Town were continuing to have the best of the chances and on 56 Darren Ambrose was played in down the right by Darren Bent. The ball seemed to stick on the surface a touch and Darren Kenton got back to dispossess him, Ambrose visibly cross with himself for not making better of it.
Referee Laws was embroiled in controversy in the 57th minute after Matt Richards, playing impressively on the Town left, tried to profit from a defensive error, following a long ball into the box and flicking it past Green who had failed to come off his line with sufficient haste. As Richards tried to follow the ball beyond the keeper, Green sent him flying.
It looked to be a cast iron penalty, however the referee failed to see anything wrong with the challenge which had almost certainly denied the Blues a goal. Ten minutes later there were more calls for a Town penalty as Kenton crashed into Bent with the pair were challenging as the ball descended after being belted very high. These calls, though came mainly from the crowd.
Iwan Roberts headed wide on 70 and Joe Royle decided that his side needed a change. Off came Darren Ambrose and on came 16-year-old Dean Bowditch to make his league debut.
The youngster was immediately in action, taking the ball past Fleming on the Town left before cutting it back to Tommy Miller. Miller's effort was blocked and ball ended up falling to Fabian Wilnis on the penalty spot who hit a well-struck shot which beat Green before he had even seen it.
The Town players piled on top of one another in front of the Blues' support with Bowditch receiving particular praise from his team-mates and the Blue Army, the ‘Deano' song aired for the first of many occasions.
Two minutes later Tommy Miller made a fine break through the middle before hitting a shot which just went wide of the post with some areas of the Town crowd thinking it had gone in.
Town played a sensible game in the last ten minutes or so and the only moment of danger was a Roberts effort which flew wide of the post with the Town players appealing for an earlier offence.
With two minutes remaining Jim Magilton was replaced with Richard Naylor who went straight into the Town defence. Naylor made one or two fine interceptions in his time on the pitch, including one towering header clearing a corner.
With the four minutes of injury time ticking down and Norwich throwing men forward, Darren Bent picked up the ball inside the centre circle and laid it of to Dean Bowditch. The 16-year-old played an inch perfect pass ahead of Bent who took into the Norwich half and held off defenders before slipping the ball past Robert Green to confirm Town's first win at Carrow Road for 11 years, the score then also 2-0.
Fabulous performances all over the pitch for Town with Andy Marshall coming through a difficult afternoon with flying colours. At the back Matt Holland was fantastic and Thomas Gaardsøe ensured an overall quiet game for Iwan Roberts.
Fabian Wilnis, even ignoring his excellent goal, had another fine game while Matt Richards hardly looked like a player making his first league start. Tommy Miller made some fine tackles and he, Jim Magilton and Jermaine Wright controlled the midfield for the majority of the game.
Twins Bent and Ambrose always caused a threat and Bent's goal was taken confidently and with a maturity beyond his years. The same can be said of Dean Bowditch who can look back on his debut with a great deal of pride, setting up the first goal with his first touch in senior football and showing admirable composure in playing in Bent for the second.
His introduction at an important stage of the game was hugely important in winning the game for Town and for that Joe Royle deserves to take some plaudits of his own. A famous derby victory and one which gives Town an important boost in their challenge for the play-offs.